The present invention relates to a vehicle repairing device for restoring a damaged panel surface of a vehicle to the normal configuration.
Conventional vehicle repairing devices for use in sheet metal repairing for restoring a damaged portion in a panel surface of a vehicle to the normal position include a sliding hammer 200 as shown in FIG. 21 and a power lock stand device as shown in FIG. 22.
The sliding hammer 200 is a tool including an iron shaft 201 formed as an integral unit having at one end a hook 204 and at the other end an iron grip portion 203, and a counter weight 202 provided so as to be slidable on the shaft 201. It is used for a damaged portion of a relatively small area.
The sliding hammer 200 is used as follows: the hook 204 provided at one end of the shaft 201 is hooked on to a weld washer W welded to a damaged portion D beforehand, and the grip portion 203 is held by one hand. Subsequently, the counter weight 202 slidably provided on the shaft 201 is slid to be banged against the grip portion 203 to thereby pull out the damaged portion D. That is, the inertial energy of the counter weight 202 is transmitted by way of the grip portion 203, the shaft 201, the hook 204, and the damaged portion D to thereby pull out the damaged portion D toward the operator side. When this sliding hammer is used, great energy is instantaneously applied to the damaged portion. As a result, the damaged portion D is locally pulled out.
The power lock stand device 300 includes a chain 302 stretched between the damaged portion D and the floor surface in proximity of the damaged portion D through the intermediation of a chain block 301, and a stand 303 for determining the direction (height) in which the damaged portion D is pulled out while maintaining a part of the stretched chain 302 at a fixed height. It is applied to a damaged portion of a relatively large area.
The chain block 301 is a device includes a main body portion having a hook, a chain provided in the main body portion, and a take-up device for the chain. By operating the take-up device, it is possible to arbitrarily reduce the chain length.
The power lock stand device 300 is operated as follows: first, a hook of the chain block 301 is hooked on to a weld washer W welded to the damaged portion D beforehand. Then, the chain 302 is stretched between the floor surface in proximity of the damaged portion D and the chain block 301. At this time, the stand 303 is arranged such that a part of the stretched chain 302 is maintained at the same height as the damaged portion D. Then, the chain block 301 is operated to gradually reduce the entire length of the chain 302 stretched, thereby making it possible to pull out the damaged portion to the normal position. When the power lock stand device is used, a force is gradually applied to the damaged portion, so that the damaged portion is pulled back in its entirety.
In some cases, a damaged portion in the panel surface of a vehicle consists of a large distortion with a small dent existing locally therein. Conventionally, such a damaged portion is first pulled out in its entirety by using a power lock stand device, and then the local dent is pulledback by using a sliding hammer.
It is also possible to increase the number of weld washers welded to the damaged portion beforehand and to use the above two devices simultaneously. In that case, however, it is difficult to weld the weld washers to optimum positions. Further, if the two devices can be appropriately installed, these is a danger of the weld washers which the power lock stand device uses being detached due to the impact of the sliding hammer.
In view of this, in the conventional sheet metal repair technique, the repair operation has to be conducted while interchanging the two devices, resulting in a bother for the operator Further, the repairing operation takes a lot of time.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems in the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle repairing device, which is capable of pulling out a damaged portion safely and easily. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle repairing device capable of pulling out a damaged portion to a predetermined position in a short time.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vehicle repairing device for pulling out a damaged portion of a panel surface to a normal position, including a first puller having a first fixing portion to be fixed to the damaged portion and adapted to pull up the first fixing portion in a state in which it is fixed to a predetermined range of the damaged portion, and a second puller having a second fixing portion to be fixed to the damaged portion and adapted to pull up the second fixing portion in a state in which it is further locally fixed to the damaged portion of the panel surface to be pulled up by the first puller.
In the present invention, the first fixing portion may include an attachment pad or covering the damaged portion of the panel surface to be pulled up by the first puller, and a pressure reducing means for reducing the pressure of the interior if the attachment pad.
In the present invention, the second fixing portion may include a weld member to be welded to the damaged portion of the panel surface, and a holder for holding the weld member.
Further, in the present invention, there may be provided a puller main body equipped with a hollow shaft, a slide rod slidably provided inside the hollow shaft, a first ascent/descent device pulling up the hollow shaft, and a second ascent/descent device pulling up the slide rod, wherein the first fixing portion is provided at one end of the hollow shaft, wherein the second fixing portion is provided at one end of the slide rod, and wherein the second fixing portion is provided so as to protrude into the interior of the first fixing portion provided at one end of the hollow shaft.
Further, there may be provided a holding portion for holding the puller main body so as to make it perpendicular to the damaged portion of the panel surface, wherein the holding portion holds the puller main body at one point in the axial direction thereof, and wherein one end of the puller main body is movable in all directions by using the one point in the axial direction at which it is held by the holding portion as a fulcrum.
At least one of the first ascent/descent device and the second ascent/descent device may include a rack gear extending along an outer peripheral surface of the hollow shaft or the slide rod and in the axial direction thereof, a pinion gear engaged with the rack gear, an engagement pawl engaged with the pinion gear and restricting the rotating direction thereof, an ascent/descent device main body which contains the pinion gear and the engagement pawl and which is supported at a predetermined support point and a rotating means for rotating the pinion gear.
Further, in the present invention, there may be provided a supporting device for supporting the puller main body, wherein the supporting device has a longitudinal rail and a lateral rail slidably provided on the longitudinal rail, and wherein the holding portion is slidably held by the lateral rail.
In accordance with the present invention, it is possible to pull out a damaged portion in a damage state in which a small dent locally exists in a large distortion to a predetermined position safely and easily.
Further, it is possible to pull out a damaged portion in a damage state in which a small dent locally exists in a large distortion by a single device, so that the operator is spared the trouble of interchanging a plurality of devices. Further, the requisite time for the repair can be substantially reduced.
Further, when there is provided a supporting device capable of supporting the puller main body at any angle and any position near the damaged portion, it is possible to pull out the damaged portion in a desired direction, making it possible to obtain a metal sheet repaired surface extremely approximate to the normal configuration.